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Using a prospective, multicenter cohort (the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos), the authors describe all-cause mortality across different U.S. Hispanic/Latino groups and how it is affected when sociodemographic, acculturation-related, lifestyle, and clinical factors are accounted for. Visual Abstract. Cumulative All-Cause Mortality in Diverse Hispanic/Latino Adults: Using a prospective, multicenter cohort (the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos), the authors describe all-cause mortality across different U.S. Hispanic/Latino groups and how it is affected when sociodemographic, acculturation-related, lifestyle, and clinical factors are accounted for. Background: All-cause mortality among diverse Hispanic/Latino groups in the United States and factors underlying mortality differences have not been examined prospectively. Objective: To describe cumulative all-cause mortality (and factors underlying differences) by Hispanic/Latino background, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Prospective, multicenter cohort study. Setting: Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Participants: 15 568 adults aged 18 to 74 years at baseline (2008 to 2011) of Central American, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, and other backgrounds from the Bronx, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and San Diego, California. Measurements: Sociodemographic, acculturation-related, lifestyle, and clinical factors were assessed at baseline, and vital status was ascertained through December 2021 (969 deaths; 173 444 person-years of follow-up). Marginally adjusted cumulative all-cause mortality risks (11-year before the pandemic and 2-year during the pandemic) were examined using progressively adjusted Cox regression. Results: Before the pandemic, 11-year cumulative mortality risks adjusted for age and sex were higher in the Puerto Rican and Cuban groups (6.3% [95% CI, 5.2% to 7.6%] and 5.7% [CI, 5.0% to 6.6%], respectively) and lowest in the South American group (2.4% [CI, 1.7% to 3.5%]). Differences were attenuated with adjustment for lifestyle and clinical factors. During the pandemic, 2-year cumulative mortality risks adjusted for age and sex ranged from 1.1% (CI, 0.6% to 2.0%; South American) to 2.0% (CI, 1.4% to 3.0%; Central American); CIs overlapped across groups. With adjustment for lifestyle factors, 2-year cumulative mortality risks were highest in persons of Central American and Mexican backgrounds and lowest among those of Puerto Rican and Cuban backgrounds. Limitation: Lack of data on race and baseline citizenship status; correlation between Hispanic/Latino background and site. Conclusion: Differences in prepandemic mortality risks across Hispanic/Latino groups were explained by lifestyle and clinical factors. Mortality patterns changed during the pandemic, with higher risks in persons of Central American and Mexican backgrounds than in those of Puerto Rican and Cuban backgrounds. Primary Funding Source: National Institutes of Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:Streptococcus mutans is a known cause of dental caries that contains a collagen-binding protein, Cnm, and exhibits inhibition of platelet aggregation and matrix metalloproteinase-9 activation. This strain has been linked to aggravation of experimental intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and may be a risk factor for ICH. The purpose of this study was to test the association between dental caries and incident ICH. Methods: The presence of dental caries and periodontal disease was assessed in subjects from the Dental Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (DARIC) study without prior stroke or ICH. This cohort was followed for incident ICH over a period of 10 years. Cox regression was used to compute crude and adjusted hazards ratio from the dental assessment. Results: Among 6,315 subjects, dental surface caries and/or root caries were recorded in 1,338 (27%) subjects. Of those, 7 (0.5%) had incident ICH over a period of 10 years following the visit 4 assessment. Of the remaining 4,977 subjects, 10 (0.2%) had incident ICH. Those with dental caries versus those without dental caries were slightly younger (mean age 62.0 ± 5.7 vs. 62.4 ± 5.6, p = 0.012), had a greater proportion of males (51 vs. 44%, p < 0.001), African Americans (44 vs. 10%, p < 0.001), and were hypertensive (42 vs. 31%, p < 0.001). The association between caries and ICH was significant (crude HR 2.69, 95% CI 1.02–7.06) and strengthened after adjustment for age, gender, race, education level, hypertension, and periodontal disease (adjusted HR 3.88, 95% CI 1.34–11.24). Conclusion: Dental caries is a potential risk for incident ICH after caries detection. Future studies are needed to determine if treatment of dental caries can reduce the risk of ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: This review aims to summarize the current burden of heart failure (HF) in the United States, specifically in patients with low socioeconomic position (SEP), and synthesize recommendations to prevent HF-related hospital readmissions in this vulnerable population. Recent Findings: As treatments have improved, HF-related mortality has declined over time, resulting in more patients living with HF. This has led to an increase in hospitalizations, however, putting excess strain on our healthcare system. HF patients with low SEP are a particularly vulnerable group, as they experience higher rates of hospitalization and readmission compared to their high SEP counterparts. The Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) was created to motivate interventions that reduce hospital readmissions across diseases, with HF being a primary target. Numerous readmission prevention efforts have been suggested to target the pre-hospitalization, hospitalization, and post-hospitalization phases, including addressing social determinants of health (SDoH), improving coordination of care, optimizing discharge plans, and improving adherence to follow-up care and medication regimens. Many of these proposed interventions show promise in reducing HF-related readmissions and issues surrounding adequate caregiver support may be particularly important to reduce readmissions among persons in low SEP. Summary: Reducing HF-related hospital readmissions is possible, even in vulnerable populations like those with low SEP, but this will require coordinated efforts across the healthcare system and throughout the life course of these patients. Caregiver support is a necessary part of optimized care for low SEP HF patients and future efforts should consider interventions that support these caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke patients discharged home often require prolonged assistance from caregivers. Little is known about the real-world effectiveness of a comprehensive stroke transitional care intervention on relieving caregiver strain. To describe the effect of the COMPASS transitional care (COMPASS-TC) intervention on caregiver strain and characterize the types, duration, and intensity of caregiving. The cluster-randomized COMPASS pragmatic trial evaluated the effectiveness of COMPASS-TC versus usual care with patients with mild stroke and TIA at 40 hospitals in North Carolina, USA. Of 5882 patients enrolled, 4208 (71%) identified a familial caregiver. A follow-up Caregiver Questionnaire, including the Modified Caregiver Strain Index, was administered at approximately three months post-discharge. Demographics and frequency, duration, and intensity of caregiving were compared between groups. 1228 caregivers (29%) completed the questionnaire. Completion was positively associated with older patient age, white race, and spousal relationship. One-third of the caregivers provided ≥30 hours of care per week and 889 (79%) provided care ≥9 weeks. Average standardized caregiver strain was 21.9 (0–100), increasing with stroke severity and comorbidity burden. Women caregivers reported higher strain than men. Treatment allocation was not associated with caregiver strain. This sample of mild stroke and TIA survivors received significant assistance from familial caregivers. However, caregiver strain was relatively low. Findings support the importance of familial caregiving in stroke, the continued disproportionate burden on women within the family, and the need for future research on caregiver support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Most strategies for prevention of venous thromboembolism focus on preventing recurrent events. Yet, primary prevention might be possible through approaches targeting the whole population or high-risk patients. To inform possible prevention strategies, population-based information on the ability of genetic risk scores to identify risk of incident venous thromboembolism is needed. Materials and methods: We used proportional hazards regression to relate two published genetic risk scores (273-variants versus 5-variants) with venous thromboembolism incidence in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) cohort (n = 11,292), aged 45–64 at baseline, drawn from 4 US communities. Results: Over a median of 28 years, ARIC identified 788 incident venous thromboembolism events. Incidence rates rose more than two-fold across quartiles of the 273-variant genetic risk score: 1.7, 2.7, 3.4 and 4.0 per 1,000 person-years. For White participants, age, sex, and ancestry-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) across quartiles were strong [1 (reference), 1.30 (0.99,1.70), 1.85 (1.43,2.40), and 2.58 (2.04,3.28)] but weaker for Black participants [1, 1.05 (0.63,1.75), 1.37 (0.84,2.22), and 1.32 (0.80,2.20)]. The 5-variant genetic risk score showed a less steep gradient, with hazard ratios in Whites of 1, 1.17 (0.89,1.54), 1.48 (1.14,1.92), and 2.18 (1.71,2.79). Models including the 273-variant genetic risk score plus lifestyle and clinical factors had a c-statistic of 0.67. Conclusions: In the general population, middle-aged adults in the highest quartile of either genetic risk score studied have approximately two-fold higher risk of an incident venous thromboembolism compared with the lowest quartile. The genetic risk scores show a weaker association with venous thromboembolism for Black people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity increases with age, is disproportionately prevalent in black populations, and is associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). An "obesity paradox," or improved survival with obesity, has been reported in patients with HFpEF. The aim of this study was to examine whether racial differences exist in the temporal trends and outcomes associated with obesity among older patients with HFpEF. DESIGN: Community surveillance of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) hospitalizations, sampled by stratified design from 2005 to 2014. SETTING: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (NC, MS, MD, MN). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 10,147 weighted hospitalizations for ADHF (64% female, 74% white, mean age 77 years), with ejection fraction ≥50%. MEASUREMENTS: ADHF classified by physician review, HFpEF defined by ejection fraction ≥50%. Body mass index (BMI) calculated from weight at hospital discharge. Obesity defined by BMI ≥30 kg/m2, class III obesity by BMI ≥40 kg/m2. RESULTS: When aggregated across 2005–2014, the mean BMI was higher for black compared to white patients (34 vs 30 kg/m2; P <.0001), as was prevalence of obesity (56% vs 43%; P <.0001) and class III obesity (24% vs 13%; P <.0001). Over time, the annual mean BMI and prevalence of class III obesity remained stable for black patients, but steadily increased for white patients, with annual rates statistically differing by race (P‐interaction =.04 and P =.03, respectively). For both races, a U‐shaped adjusted mortality risk was observed across BMI categories, with the highest risk among patients with a BMI ≥40 kg/m2. CONCLUSION: Black patients were disproportionately burdened by obesity in this decade‐long community surveillance of older hospitalized patients with HFpEF. However, temporal increases in mean BMI and class III obesity prevalence among white patients narrowed the racial difference in recent years. For both races, the worst survival was observed with class III obesity. Effective strategies are needed to manage obesity in patients with HFpEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Stroke is a chronic, complex condition that disproportionally affects older adults. Health systems are evaluating innovative transitional care (TC) models to improve outcomes in these patients. The Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) Study, a large cluster-randomized pragmatic trial, tested a TC model for patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack discharged home from the hospital. The implementation of COMPASS-TC in complex real-world settings was evaluated to identify successes and challenges with integration into the clinical workflow. Research Design and Methods We conducted a concurrent process evaluation of COMPASS-TC implementation during the first year of the trial. Qualitative data were collected from 4 sources across 19 intervention hospitals. We analyzed transcripts from 43 conference calls with hospital clinicians, individual and group interviews with leaders and clinicians from 9 hospitals, and 2 interviews with the COMPASS-TC Director of Implementation using iterative thematic analysis. Themes were compared to the domains of the RE-AIM framework. Results Organizational, individual, and community factors related to Reach, Adoption, and Implementation were identified. Organizational readiness was an additional key factor to successful implementation, in that hospitals that were not "organizationally ready" had more difficulty addressing implementation challenges. Discussion and Implications Multifaceted TC models are challenging to implement. Facilitators of implementation were organizational commitment and capacity, prioritizing implementation of innovative delivery models to provide comprehensive care, being able to address challenges quickly, implementing systems for tracking patients throughout the intervention, providing clinicians with autonomy and support to address challenges, and adequately resourcing the intervention. Clinical Trial Registration NCT02588664 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Experimental and observational research has suggested the potential for increased type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk among populations taking statins for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, few studies have directly compared statin-associated benefits and harms or examined heterogeneity by population subgroups or assumed treatment effect. Thus, we compared ASCVD risk reduction and T2D incidence increases across 3 statin treatment guidelines or recommendations among adults without a history of ASCVD or T2D who were eligible for statin treatment initiation.Methods and Findings: Simulations were conducted using Markov models that integrated data from contemporary population-based studies of non-Hispanic African American and white adults aged 40-75 years with published meta-analyses. Statin treatment eligibility was determined by predicted 10-year ASCVD risk (5%, 7.5%, or 10%). We calculated the number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one ASCVD event and the number needed to harm (NNH) to incur one incident case of T2D. The likelihood to be helped or harmed (LHH) was calculated as ratio of NNH to NNT. Heterogeneity in statin-associated benefit was examined by sex, age, and statin-associated T2D relative risk (RR) (range: 1.11-1.55). A total of 61,125,042 U.S. adults (58.5% female; 89.4% white; mean age = 54.7 years) composed our primary prevention population, among whom 13-28 million adults were eligible for statin initiation. Overall, the number of ASCVD events prevented was at least twice as large as the number of incident cases of T2D incurred (LHH range: 2.26-2.90). However, the number of T2D cases incurred surpassed the number of ASCVD events prevented when higher statin-associated T2D RRs were assumed (LHH range: 0.72-0.94). In addition, females (LHH range: 1.74-2.40) and adults aged 40-50 years (LHH range: 1.00-1.14) received lower absolute benefits of statin treatment compared with males (LHH range: 2.55-3.00) and adults aged 70-75 years (LHH range: 3.95-3.96). Projected differences in LHH by age and sex became more pronounced as statin-associated T2D RR increased, with a majority of scenarios projecting LHHs < 1 for females and adults aged 40-50 years. This study's primary limitation was uncertainty in estimates of statin-associated T2D risk, highlighting areas in which additional clinical and public health research is needed.Conclusions: Our projections suggest that females and younger adult populations shoulder the highest relative burden of statin-associated T2D risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents COMprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) study on emergency department utilization after hospitalization discharge for acute stroke. Topics include Providing appropriate care during the recovery from this complex condition is a challenge for patients, caregivers, and health care providers; and COMPASS transitional care intervention was designed to integrate medical and community resources to meet the needs of stroke survivors and caregivers and optimize outcomes.

Background: In the US, medication assisted treatment, particularly with office-based buprenorphine, has been an important component of opioid dependence treatment among patients with iatrogenic addiction to opioid analgesics. The predictors of initiating buprenorphine for addiction among opioid analgesic patients have not been well-described. Methods: We conducted a time-to-event analysis using data from the North Carolina (NC) Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). Our outcome of interest was time-to-initiation of sublingual buprenorphine. Our study population was a prospective cohort of all state residents receiving a full-agonist opioid analgesic between 2011 and 2015. Predictors of initiation of sublingual buprenorphine examined included: age, gender, cumulative pharmacies and prescribers utilized, cumulative opioid intensity (defined as cumulative opioid exposure divided by duration of opioid exposure), and benzodiazepine dispensing. Findings: Of 4.3 million patients receiving opioid analgesics in NC between 2011 and 2015 (accumulated 8.30 million person-years of follow-up), and a total of 28,904 patients initiated buprenorphine formulations intended for addiction treatment (overall rate 3.48 per 1,000 person-years). In adjusted multivariate models, the utilization of 3 or more pharmacies (HR: 2.93; 95% CI: 2.82, 3.05) or 6 or more controlled substance prescribers (HR: 12.09; 95% CI: 10.76, 13.57) was associated with buprenorphine initiation. A dose-response relationship was observed for cumulative opioid intensity (HR in highest decile relative to lowest decile: 5.05; 95% CI: 4.70, 5.42). Benzodiazepine dispensing was negatively associated with buprenorphine initiation (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.65). Conclusions: Opioid analgesic patients utilizing multiple prescribers or pharmacies are more likely to initiate sublingual buprenorphine. This finding suggests that patients with multiple healthcare interactions are more likely to be treated for high-risk opioid use, or may be more likely to be identified and treated for addiction. Future research should utilize prescription monitoring program data linked to electronic health records to include diagnosis information in analytic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine variability in identifying and reporting overuse injuries among certified athletic trainers. Methods: This cross-sectional study of athletic trainers participating in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Injury Surveillance Program used a novel online-only survey consisting of seven hypothetical clinical scenarios representing various clinical presentations, including overuse and acute elements. Participants reported clinical opinions regarding the role overuse played in each scenario (major contributor, not a major contributor, or not enough information) and probability (0% to 100%) of classifying each scenario as having an overuse injury mechanism, then completed open-ended questions addressing their decision-making process. Results: Seventy-four (25%) athletic trainers completed the survey. Six of the seven scenarios generated discordance in responses among the participating athletic trainers. Variability in athletic trainer decisions involved the progression of injury, duration of symptoms, and activity at time of injury. Conclusions: Developing a formalized definition of overuse injury may improve consistency and standardize methods for identifying and reporting overuse injuries within injury research. [[Athletic Training & Sports Health Care. 2020;12(1):31–39.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COMprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) pragmatic trial compared the effectiveness of comprehensive transitional care (COMPASS-TC) versus usual care among stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients discharged home from North Carolina hospitals. We evaluated implementation of COMPASS-TC in 20 hospitals randomized to the intervention using the RE-AIM framework.Methods: We evaluated hospital-level Adoption of COMPASS-TC; patient Reach (meeting transitional care management requirements of timely telephone and face-to-face follow-up); Implementation using hospital quality measures (concurrent enrollment, two-day telephone follow-up, 14-day clinic visit scheduling); and hospital-level sustainability (Maintenance). Effectiveness compared 90-day physical function (Stroke Impact Scale-16), between patients receiving COMPASS-TC versus not. Associations between hospital and patient characteristics with Implementation and Reach measures were estimated with mixed logistic regression models.Results: Adoption: Of 95 eligible hospitals, 41 (43%) participated in the trial. Of the 20 hospitals randomized to the intervention, 19 (95%) initiated COMPASS-TC. Reach: A total of 24% (656/2751) of patients enrolled received a billable TC intervention, ranging from 6 to 66% across hospitals.Implementation: Of eligible patients enrolled, 75.9% received two-day calls (or two attempts) and 77.5% were scheduled/offered clinic visits. Most completed visits (78% of 975) occurred within 14 days. Effectiveness: Physical function was better among patients who attended a 14-day visit versus those who did not (adjusted mean difference: 3.84, 95% CI 1.42-6.27, p = 0.002). Maintenance: Of the 19 adopting hospitals, 14 (74%) sustained COMPASS-TC.Conclusions: COMPASS-TC implementation varied widely. The greatest challenge was reaching patients because of system difficulties maintaining consistent delivery of follow-up visits and patient preferences to pursue alternate post-acute care. Receiving COMPASS-TC was associated with better functional status.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02588664. Registered 28 October 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate assessment of the burden of stroke, a major cause of disability and death, is crucial. We aimed to estimate rates of validated ischaemic stroke hospitalizations in the USA during 1998-2011.Methods: We used the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study cohort's adjudicated stroke data for participants aged ≥55 years, to construct validation models for each International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-code group and patient covariates. These models were applied to the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data to estimate the probability of validated ischaemic stroke for each eligible hospitalization. Rates and trends in NIS using ICD codes vs estimates of validated ischaemic stroke were compared.Results: After applying validation models, the estimated annual average rate of validated ischaemic stroke hospitalizations in the USA during 1998-2011 was 3.37 [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.31, 3.43) per 1000 person-years. Validated rates declined during 1998-2011 from 4.7/1000 to 2.9/1000; however, the decline was limited to 1998-2007, with no further decline subsequently through 2011. Validation models showed that the false-positive (∼23% of strokes) and false-negative rates of ICD-9-CM codes in primary position for ischaemic stroke approximately cancel. Therefore, estimates of ischaemic stroke hospitalizations did not substantially change after applying validation models.Conclusions: Overall, ischaemic stroke hospitalization rates in the USA have declined during 1998-2007, but no further decline was observed from 2007 to 2011. Validated ischaemic stroke hospitalizations estimates were similar to published estimates of hospitalizations with ischaemic stroke ICD codes in primary position. Validation of national discharge data using prospective chart review data is important to estimate the accuracy of reported burden of stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies are inconclusive on the relationship between parity and cardiovascular disease (CVD), with few evaluating multiple cardiovascular outcomes. It is also unclear if any relationship between parity and CVD is independent of breastfeeding. We examined the associations between parity and cardiovascular outcomes, including breastfeeding adjustment. Materials and Methods: Data were from 8,583 White and African American women, 45–64 years of age, in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure, and strokes were ascertained from 1987 to 2016 by annual interviews and hospital surveillance. Parity and breastfeeding were self-reported. Cox proportional hazards regression estimated hazard ratios (HR) for the association between parity and cardiovascular outcomes, adjusting for baseline sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle factors, and breastfeeding. Results: Women reported no pregnancies (6.0%), or having 0 (1.6%), 1–2 (36.2%), 3–4 (36.4%), or 5+ (19.7%) live births. During 30 years follow-up, there were 1,352 CHDs, 843 MIs, 750 strokes, and 1,618 heart failure events. Compared with women with 1–2 prior births, those with prior pregnancies and no live births had greater incident CHD (HR = 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.14–2.42) and heart failure risk (1.46, 1.04–2.05), after adjustment for baseline characteristics. Women with 5+ births had greater risk of CHD (1.29, 1.10–1.52) and hospitalized MI (1.38, 1.13–1.69), after adjustment for baseline characteristics and breastfeeding. Conclusions: In a diverse U.S. cohort, a history of 5+ live births is associated with CHD risk, specifically, MI, independent of breastfeeding. Having a prior pregnancy and no live birth is associated with greater CHD and heart failure risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Vital exhaustion (VE), a construct defined as lack of energy, increased fatigue and irritability, and feelings of demoralisation, has been associated with cardiovascular events. We sought to examine the relation between VE and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.Methods: The ARIC Study is a predominately biracial cohort of men and women, aged 45-64 at baseline, initiated in 1987 through random sampling in four US communities. VE was measured using the Maastricht questionnaire between 1990 and 1992 among 13 923 individuals. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the hazard of out-of-hospital SCD across tertiles of VE scores.Results: Through 2012, 457 SCD cases, defined as a sudden pulseless condition presumed due to a ventricular tachyarrhythmia in a previously stable individual, were identified in ARIC by physician record review. Adjusting for age, sex and race/centre, participants in the highest VE tertile had an increased risk of SCD (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.87), but these findings did not remain significant after adjustment for established cardiovascular disease risk factors (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.20).Conclusions: Among participants of the ARIC study, VE was not associated with an increased risk for SCD after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pragmatic randomized clinical trials are essential to determine the effectiveness of interventions in "real-world" clinical practice. These trials frequently use a cluster-randomized methodology, with randomization at the site level. Despite policymakers' increased interest in supporting pragmatic randomized clinical trials, no studies to date have reported on the unique recruitment challenges faced by cluster-randomized pragmatic trials. We investigated key challenges and successful strategies for hospital recruitment in the Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) study.Methods: The COMPASS study is designed to compare the effectiveness of the COMPASS model versus usual care in improving functional outcomes, reducing the numbers of hospital readmissions, and reducing caregiver strain for patients discharged home after stroke or transient ischemic attack. This model integrates early supported discharge planning with transitional care management, including nurse-led follow-up phone calls after 2, 30, and 60 days and an in-person clinic visit at 7-14 days involving a functional assessment and neurological examination. We present descriptive statistics of the characteristics of successfully recruited hospitals compared with all eligible hospitals, reasons for non-participation, and effective recruitment strategies.Results: We successfully recruited 41 (43%) of 95 eligible North Carolina hospitals. Leading, non-exclusive reasons for non-participation included: insufficient staff or financial resources (n = 33, 61%), lack of health system support (n = 16, 30%), and lack of support of individual decision-makers (n = 11, 20%). Successful recruitment strategies included: building and nurturing relationships, engaging team members and community partners with a diverse skill mix, identifying gatekeepers, finding mutually beneficial solutions, having a central institutional review board, sharing published pilot data, and integrating contracts and review board administrators.Conclusions: Although we incorporated strategies based on the best available evidence at the outset of the study, hospital recruitment required three times as much time and considerably more staff than anticipated. To reach our goal, we tailored strategies to individuals, hospitals, and health systems. Successful recruitment of a sufficient number and representative mix of hospitals requires considerable preparation, planning, and flexibility. Strategies presented here may assist future trial organizers in implementing cluster-randomized pragmatic trials.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02588664 . Registered on 23 October 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing physical activity (PA) at the population level requires appropriately targeting intervention development. Identifying the locations in which participants with various sociodemographic, body weight, and geographic characteristics tend to engage in varying intensities of PA as well as locations these populations underutilize for PA may facilitate this process. A visual location-coding protocol was developed and implemented in Google Fusion Tables and Maps using data from participants (N = 223, age 18-85) in five states. Participants concurrently wore ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers and Qstarz BT-Q1000X GPS units for 3 weeks to identify locations of moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) or vigorous (VPA) bouts. Cochran-Mantel-Haenzel general association tests examined usage differences by participant characteristics (sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, body mass index (BMI), and recruitment city). Homes and roads encompassed >40% of bout-based PA minutes regardless of PA intensity. Fitness facilities and schools were important for VPA (19 and 12% of bout minutes). Parks were used for 13% of MVPA bout minutes but only 4% of VPA bout minutes. Hispanics, those without a college degree, and overweight/obese participants frequently completed MVPA bouts at home. Older adults often used roads for MVPA bouts. Hispanics, those with ≤high school education, and healthy/overweight participants frequently had MVPA bouts in parks. Applying a new location-coding protocol in a diverse population showed that adult PA locations varied by PA intensity, sociodemographic characteristics, BMI, and geographic location. Although homes, roads, and parks remain important locations for demographically targeted PA interventions, observed usage patterns by participant characteristics may facilitate development of more appropriately targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients discharged home after stroke face significant challenges managing residual neurological deficits, secondary prevention, and pre-existing chronic conditions. Post-discharge care is often fragmented leading to increased healthcare costs, readmissions, and sub-optimal utilization of rehabilitation and community services. The COMprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) Study is an ongoing cluster-randomized pragmatic trial to assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive, evidence-based, post-acute care model on patient-centered outcomes.Methods: Forty-one hospitals in North Carolina were randomized (as 40 units) to either implement the COMPASS care model or continue their usual care. The recruitment goal is 6000 patients (3000 per arm). Hospital staff ascertain and enroll patients discharged home with a clinical diagnosis of stroke or transient ischemic attack. Patients discharged from intervention hospitals receive 2-day telephone follow-up; a comprehensive clinic visit within 2 weeks that includes a neurological evaluation, assessments of social and functional determinants of health, and an individualized COMPASS Care Plan™ integrated with a community-specific resource database; and additional follow-up calls at 30 and 60 days post-stroke discharge. This model is consistent with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services transitional care management services provided by physicians or advanced practice providers with support from a nurse to conduct patient assessments and coordinate follow-up services. Patients discharged from usual care hospitals represent the control group and receive the standard of care in place at that hospital. Patient-centered outcomes are collected from telephone surveys administered at 90 days. The primary endpoint is patient-reported functional status as measured by the Stroke Impact Scale 16. Secondary outcomes are: caregiver strain, all-cause readmissions, mortality, healthcare utilization, and medication adherence. The study engages patients, caregivers, and other stakeholders (including policymakers, advocacy groups, payers, and local community coalitions) to advise and support the design, implementation, and sustainability of the COMPASS care model.Discussion: Given the high societal and economic burden of stroke, identifying a care model to improve recovery, independence, and quality of life is critical for stroke survivors and their caregivers. The pragmatic trial design provides a real-world assessment of the COMPASS care model effectiveness and will facilitate rapid implementation into clinical practice if successful.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02588664 ; October 23, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: One in 12 adults has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma. Acute exacerbations of these chronic lower respiratory diseases (CLRDs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Valid approaches to classifying cases and exacerbations in the general population are needed to facilitate prevention research.Objectives: To assess the feasibility, reproducibility, and performance of a protocol to identify CLRD cases and exacerbations triggering emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations in cohorts of patients derived from general populations of adults.Methods: A protocol was developed to classify CLRD cases and severe exacerbations on the basis of review of medical records. ED and inpatient medical records were ascertained prospectively in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, and inpatient records were retrospectively identified by administrative codes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. "Probable" exacerbations were defined as a physician's diagnosis of CLRD with acute respiratory symptoms. "Highly probable" exacerbations additionally required systemic corticosteroid therapy, and "definite" exacerbations required airflow limitation or evidence of CLRD on imaging studies. Adjudicated results were compared with CLRD cases identified by spirometry and self-report, and with an administrative definition of exacerbations.Measurements and Main Results: Protocol-based classification was completed independently by two physicians for 216 medical records (56 ED visits and 61 hospitalizations in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos; 99 hospitalizations in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis). Reviewer disagreement occurred in 2-5% of cases and 4-8% of exacerbations. Eighty-nine percent of records were confirmed as at least probable CLRD cases. Fifty-six percent of confirmed CLRD cases had airflow limitation on the basis of baseline study spirometry. Of records that described CLRD as the primary discharge diagnosis code, an acute exacerbation was confirmed as at least probable for 96% and as highly probable or definite for 77%. Only 50% of records with CLRD as a secondary code were confirmed, although such records accounted for over half of all confirmed exacerbations.Conclusions: CLRD cases and severe exacerbations without preceding documentation of airflow limitation are identified frequently in population-based cohorts of persons. A primary discharge diagnosis of CLRD is specific but insensitive for defining exacerbations. Protocol-based classification of medical records may be appropriate to supplement and to validate identification of CLRD cases and exacerbations in general population studies. Clinical trials registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00005487 and NCT02060344). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]